Great Power Competition

Beijing is just as concerned about its Gulf partners as it is about China’s “old friends” in Tehran.

Putin has been using his position in the region to chip away at Russia’s isolation during the Ukraine war, and another Middle East regime change won’t do much to change that strategy.

President Trump’s recent military adventures seem driven less by confidence and canny strategy than by fear of America losing status on the world stage, including in the Middle East.

Russia has been quietly reconsolidating its military patronage, energy ties, and future business prospects in Syria for more than a year, but Washington has multiple options for countering Moscow’s long game.

Moscow has certainly not left the Middle East playing field, and many countries will continue expanding their Russian ties unless Washington convinces them there are better options.

The incident points to the myriad ways that U.S. adversaries might exploit Moscow’s efforts to claim a permanent stake in Syria’s needy postwar energy sector.

Democratic backsliding, sluggish trade reforms, and other maladies have left the country's ports insufficiently attractive to investment heavyweights like the United States and China.

Moscow won’t feel the pain as long as China keeps buying, but Washington can change Beijing’s calculus by threatening to block access to the U.S. financial system.

Washington Institute experts discuss each government’s likely agenda for the landmark visit, from dealmaking in the energy and AI sectors to deepening the bilateral defense relationship and taking the difficult next steps in the fragile Gaza ceasefire plan.